Oh How Strange
by LaLainaJ
Summary: When Enzo strolled into Caroline's apartment - temporarily dead vampire over one shoulder, squirming ball of puppy fluff under his other arm - she was only slightly concerned. Then Rebekah called, with news that was both crazy and alarming. AKA: The Adventures of Caroline and Werewolfpuppy!Klaus. Shameless crackfic.
1. Chapter 1

**Notes:** The lovely fanfantasticworld has made me a cover for this thing and I figured it might as well get it's own doc since it's now several parts long! The first three were previously published in Make Some Noise but the last part is new.

 **Notes:** Lightly edited 11/17.

 **Oh How Strange**

 **(Prompt from an anon: Would you do a werewolf! puppy Klaus AU? Where Klaus is spelled into turning into a cute werewolf puppy and Caroline has to take care of him and search for a witch to undo the spell. Title from "Strange" by Patsy Cline. Rated T.)**

Caroline Forbes is well versed in weird. She's experienced all sorts of abnormal happenings in the years since she'd learned that impossible things, monsters and magic, were real and all around her.

So when Enzo walks into her apartment, a body slung over his shoulder and a struggling bundle of fur under his opposite arm, she isn't immediately alarmed. Caroline takes a second to hope that he hadn't run into her building manager. She'd hate to have to compel the poor man. Again.

She studies Enzo, checking for injuries and finding none. He doesn't seem anxious or scared, so Caroline relaxes, confident that she won't need to call in the cavalry. She'd long since given up trying to predict what Enzo would get up to on any given day. This little incident is only like a level yellow on the weirdness scale. Besides, if there was no blood it probably wasn't an emergency. Caroline turns her attention to the squirming animal, a sandy colored puppy, that's frantically trying to escape Enzo's hold, but quickly decides that the body is the more pressing issue.

She put down her magazine and stands up from the couch, raising her eyebrows expectantly.

"Hello, Gorgeous," Enzo greets her with a nod. He flinging the body onto the couch cushions she'd just vacated, completely unconcerned when the guy's legs dangle over the arm at an uncomfortable angle. He uses his newly free hand to hold the puppy, which had begun barking, more securely. He nods at the body, "Found that one loitering around your building, all suspicious like. He's a vampire but young enough that I took him out with no trouble. D'you know him?"

Leaning forward, Caroline peers at the guy's unconscious face for a few moments, but he's not the least bit recognizable to her. She steps back, shaking her head, "Nope. Never seen him before. And geez, Enzo, you can't just go around snapping necks. Maybe he was just checking out a vacant apartment. Vampires have rights too."

Enzo scoffs, "Doubtful. There was a definite sinister lingering happening. What about this guy?" Enzo hoists the puppy to eye level by the scruff of its neck. "Look familiar?"

The poor thing struggles, its little legs flailing as it whines. Caroline doesn't know a whole lot about pets, but she reaches for it automatically. "Don't be mean, Enzo!" she scolds before pulling the animal to her chest and stroking its back soothingly. It noses at her neck, "Never seen the puppy either." She waits for a few moments then, thinking it must be sufficiently recovered from Enzo's manhandling, puts the puppy on the floor before kneeling down and petting its head. It leans happily into her touch, tail wagging. "What kind of dog do you think it is? And is it a boy or a girl?"

"I'm no expert but I think it's probably just a mutt with some shepherd in it. And the other thing's easy enough to check." Enzo crouches down and the puppy turns its head and growls, edging away. Enzo ignores the warning (to be fair it _was_ more cute than threatening) and reaches out. The puppy snaps at Enzo's hand when it nears and darts around Caroline, pressing against her side.

A laugh bubbles up and she rests her hand on the puppy once more, ruffling its fur. "Looks like someone's a little shy."

Before Enzo can try again a phone begins ringing, coming from somewhere on their temporarily dead visitor. Both Caroline and Enzo's heads twist in that direction. "Um, should we get that?" Caroline asks.

"Might as well," Enzo replies. He gets to his feet and yanks the stranger over enough to dig through his jacket pocket. He shows Caroline the screen, but no name or picture is displayed. Caroline recognizes the area code though, and a small alarm sounds in her brain. Surely it couldn't mean anything that a strange vampire had shown up and was fielding calls from New Orleans? It had to be a freaky coincidence.

Her little bout of denial is incredibly short lived once Enzo answers the phone. A _very_ familiar voice ( _not_ one she's missed) blares out of the tiny speaker. Caroline closes her eyes in resignation. "Josh, are you there yet?" Rebekah Mikaelson snipes. "I swear, if you've mucked this up I will happily spend decades upon decades slowly unfurling your insides in the most painful ways imaginable. And I have a _vivid_ imagination."

The puppy lets out a series of sharp barks and paws at Caroline's hip.

"I do like a woman who's creative," Enzo murmurs in reply, and Caroline rolls her eyes at the blatant flirtatiousness in it. "But your friend, Josh was it? He's a bit indisposed. May I take a message?"

"Who is this?" the tone changes, from annoyed to menacing, and Caroline winces. Enzo, of course, is unfazed since he has only a passing knowledge of Rebekah Mikaelson and the numerous reasons why a person didn't want to get on her bad side.

"Now that's rather rude," Enzo reprimands. "After all, _you_ called _me_. I do believe that you should be the one making the introductions, not making demands."

"Listen to me very carefully, you half-wit cretin. If you…"

Caroline holds out her hand, "Give me the phone, Enzo."

He turns towards her, his eyes bright and amused. "You know this charming creature? And you've never introduced me? And here I thought we were pals."

Rebekah makes a disgusted noise, "I see your taste in company has not improved in the slightest, Caroline."

Caroline waits until Enzo passes her the phone, standing up and walking to the other side of the room before bringing it to her ear. The puppy stays close, hot on her heels. "Hey, Rebekah. I'd say it's been too long, but really it hasn't been nearly long enough."

"Trust me, I completely agree. But since Nik's not exactly great at making friends we have very few options. He's gotten himself into a bit of a mess."

Caroline's heart begins to thud, the uneasiness she'd started to feel upon hearing Rebekah's voice growing. "What mess?" she demands. "He's not…" she trails off, taking a deep breath, unable to continue. She tells herself to calm down because Klaus obviously wasn't dead. Rebekah sounded more put out than devastated and Caroline (along with the rest of her friends who were tied to Klaus' line) was still among the living. And, as Klaus had once delighted in telling her, he was the most powerful creature on earth. How bad could things really be?

Rebekah lets out an impatient sigh, "Did Josh not explain things to you? Honestly, good help is so hard to find these days."

"I'm guessing Josh is the semi-cute vamp with dark hair? Yeah, he didn't really get a chance to say much. Enzo's a wee bit paranoid so your minion got his neck snapped for lurking around my building."

"Ugh," Rebekah grumbles, "and I _told_ him to be discrete. Well, I'll sum things up for you. Nik pissed off some witches. Not an unusual occurrence, mind you. One of this batch was particularly clever and managed to weave a tricky little spell. It's left him vulnerable and then things got a tad heated and she ended up dead. Kol's fault, really. We've not had a lot of luck in reversing it and the peasants get uppity when they think the throne is weak. We had to get Nik out of the city. That's where you come in, sweetling."

"Wait, Klaus is here? Where? And what's the spell?"

Rebekah sighs again, this one deeper and filled with suffering, "Oh, Caroline. Please use your brain. I know you're smarter than you look."

Caroline glances up at the ceiling, unwilling to admit that she has no idea what Rebekah is talking about (and a little shocked by the backhanded compliment). Her attention is drawn down, caught by the little paws scratching at the denim covering her legs. The puppy is gazing up at her, eyes big and blue and strangely… intelligent. Almost _knowing_.

And now that she thinks about it that particular shade of blue is _really_ familiar.

Caroline bites her lip, fighting the urge to laugh. The thought that had just occurred to her is _completely_ nuts. She has to be batshit insane to even consider the idea that Klaus is currently in her living room, trapped in an adorable ball of puppy shaped fluff, standing no more than twelve inches tall.

But then again was it _really_ all that much weirder than the whole prison dimension thing? If a coven of witches could make a copy of the entire freaking world, and everything in it, was it so unfathomable that one witch could turn the original hybrid into a puppy?

Not really in Caroline's opinion.

She looks over at Enzo who is watching her curiously, waiting on her reply. Caroline hesitates for a moment because what she's about to do could very well make her seem like the biggest idiot on the planet. Enzo might be the least judgemental friend she has but he'd mercilessly mock her for trying to carry on a conversation with a dog if it turned out that she had, in fact, lost her mind.

"Hold on a second, Rebekah," Caroline murmurs into the phone. She tucks it between her ear and shoulder before bending to scoop the puppy up. It doesn't struggle, or try to escape, like it had with Enzo and she carries it over to the table. She sets it gently on top and pulls up a chair.

This is definitely a conversation that she needs to sit down for.

The puppy sits, its tail thumping gently against the table top. Enzo ambles over and the puppy's eyes track his movements warily, "What's going on, Caroline?"

She shoots him a glance, "Damon told you about The Originals, right?"

"Your hybrid, his evil sister, etc?"

"Yeah." Caroline thinks about offering a correction – Klaus wasn't hers – but that can wait. She shakes the phone, "You kinda just met the evil sister. And I think…" God, is she really going to say this out loud?

"You think…" Enzo prompts. They both ignore the sound of Rebekah's complaints. She's pissed about being ignored, and insists that anything Damon Salvatore has to say about her is utter nonsense.

"I think this is Klaus," Caroline says, with a significant nod towards the animal stretched out on her table. It comes out in a rush, the words barely separated. But Enzo hears her and the puppy reacts too, barking excitedly, its (his?) body wriggling, tiny feet sliding on the polished wood.

An abrupt laugh bursts out of Enzo, "The big bad hybrid is a puppy? I'm all aquiver." He reaches out to touch the puppy (Klaus? Should she start thinking of it as Klaus? That was going to take some getting used to) but once again the puppy bares its teeth, snapping and nearly catching Enzo's fingers.

Caroline slaps Enzo's hand away, "Hey! Careful. If I'm _not_ totally looney toons here then those sharp little teeth are your one way ticket to a painful death." Turning to the puppy, she points a finger at it sternly, "And you. No biting Enzo. Or any of my friends. Or anyone in general. I mean it."

The puppy huffs, sitting down on its haunches, petulance bristling from its every strand of fur. Caroline is certain that it had totally understood her and she feels a little more confident in her wild theory.

Taking a deep breath Caroline grabs the phone again. She presses a slightly shaky hand to her forehead, "Rebekah, _please_ tell me that this is a joke. That you've gotten super bored and decided on a new way to torment me. Tell me that you didn't actually send me Klaus the mini werewolf puppy."

"I'm afraid I can't do that. You've got to give the witch credit for style, hmm? Kol's headed off to search out some contacts in South America. Elijah and I have our hands full here. The list of people Nik trusted to mind him, and not attempt to kill him while doing so, was pitifully short. You were right at the top."

Klaus glances away, suddenly finding his paws fascinating.

"I…" Caroline has no idea how she's supposed to reply to that.

Luckily, Rebekah isn't really the fuzzy emotions type and she gets straight to the business of threatening. "Now, Nik may trust you, at least as much as he's capable. But _I_ do not. You will protect him with your life, Caroline. You, and your little friend, will not tell a soul about his predicament. I will be most displeased should something happen to Nik. And my displeasure will mean the slow agonizing death of you and everyone you love. Do we have an understanding?"

Caroline swallows heavily, and looks over at Enzo who's looking impressed. Clearly those years with The Augustine Society had warped him. "I get it, Rebekah. I think you're forgetting the part where if Klaus dies, I die. Helping is in my best interest, right?"

"Excellent," Rebekah drawls, sounding satisfied. "Whatever you need to tell yourself to justify things is your business."

Caroline grinds her teeth together to keep from snapping something that will prolong the conversation. It's been relatively pleasant so far and, for that to remain true, she needs to get off the phone ASAP.

Rebekah seems to have the same idea, her tone growing brisk. "Now, Josh has the keys to one of Nik's vehicles and a credit card. The phone you're holding has the location of a few witches programmed in. They're related to the pesky little wretch that cursed my brother. I need you to track them down."

"Whoa. Dog sitting is one thing. Now you expect _me_ to hunt down and interrogate witches? I have a job, you know."

"Yes, I'm sure it's very important. Just compel who you need to and scamper off."

And her patience was just about done. "Look, I can't just…"

Rebekah cuts her off, exasperation dripping from her words. "Oh please, Caroline. Don't pretend you don't enjoy Nik's usual form. _Something_ kept him occupied, for hours and hours, the last time we were in Mystic Falls. I'm quite sure it wasn't the scenery."

Caroline is just about to utter a protest she's stopped by Klaus, who's still sitting patiently on the table. He's shooting her literal puppy eyes and damn it that just wasn't fair. She sags into her chair, accepting defeat. "Ugh, fine. I'll help. But you better believe I am abusing that credit card," Caroline warns, mostly to cover how easily she'd just caved.

Klaus barks once and Caroline isn't sure if that meant 'go ahead' or 'don't you dare.' She'd bet on the former given Klaus' penchant for lavish gifts.

"Enjoy yourself, by all means," Rebekah says condescendingly, "but focus on the task. I'll touch base with you tomorrow."

Rebekah hangs up without waiting for a reply or bothering with a goodbye. "Awesome," Caroline mutters, "great talk." She regards the puppy, _Klaus_ , warily for a few moments, before she rubs her hand over her face. Caroline groans, "What even is my life?"

Enzo pats her on the shoulder and sits down, "Never dull, at least." He addresses Klaus, sounding remarkably normal, but then Enzo is pretty great at dealing with curveballs, "I'm Enzo. Heard a lot about you, mate. Sorry I tried to check under the hood. No hard feelings, alright?"

Caroline snorts at that, a tiny, hysterical giggle spilling out before she can stop it. She slaps a hand over her mouth, "Sorry, I'm sorry," she apologizes when both Enzo and Klaus give her funny looks. The urge to laugh only grows stronger at the affronted expression painted on Klaus' puppy face. Caroline gives in, letting her head fall onto the table, her whole body shaking in amusement. Klaus lays down on the table, resting his head on his paws, managing to project an air of annoyed patience as he waits for her to calm down.

She does eventually though it probably takes longer than Klaus likes. She wipes her eyes before clearing her throat. "Okay. So. To recap, Klaus is a puppy. I have a mission. One that I must accomplish under threats of death and dismemberment."

"Sounds about right, Gorgeous."

Caroline nods once, resolute. She's got plans swirling through her head. "Grab me a notebook, Enzo. I'm going to need to make a list."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes:** Lightly edited 11/17.

 **Oh How Strange – Part Two**

 **(The continuing adventures of Caroline and werewolfpuppy!Klaus. Part One is the third drabble in chapter 11. Rated K+.)**

Caroline decides to send Enzo home. She loves that he's gung ho to help but he's a fly by the seat of his pants kind of guy and he'd just get in the way of her serious plotting. He doesn't want to leave, argues until Caroline insists. She gets up and physically yanks him out of the dining room chair. She waves Klaus away when he tries to follow, "Klaus, stay."

That earns her a growl, and she throws him an apologetic look. "Yeah, that was rude. Sorry."

Caroline hauls Enzo towards the door, plowing over his reluctance. "Seriously, Enzo," Caroline assures him, "plausible deniability is a good thing here. Take my word for it. Rebekah Mikaelson? She's a heinous, sadistic bitch. Her only redeeming quality is her killer taste in shoes."

"That's not very nice, Caroline."

Caroline does her best to reign in her irritation. "Rebekah is a _thousand_ years old. I'm pretty sure she invented some of the torture techniques those Augustine weirdos used on you. Probably perfected them on the guys who refused to kiss her ring or whatever. The Original does never throw anything out. I don't even want to know what kind of creepy implements of pain and misery they have lying around"

If anything, that little tidbit of information only serves to intrigue Enzo more. Which is super gross, and not something Caroline wants to think about.

"She sounds truly delightful."

"I swear to god, Enzo," Caroline says, shooting him a hard look, "if Rebekah has long distance hypnotized you into doing her bidding I will kill you before she can."

"Nonsense, Gorgeous," Enzo replies, looking at her like she'd said something ridiculous. "You know I'm always on your side."

Caroline pauses in front of her door, nodding in agreement and appreciation, "That's cause my side's the right side, duh."

Enzo chuckles. He wraps an arm around her shoulders affectionately, "Right, if you say so. Promise you'll call me if you need anything? Dog sitter, road trip buddy, help with body disposal?"

Caroline musters a smile, "Will do. Just… don't say anything to anyone, okay? Especially not to Damon. You weren't around back then but he was constantly concocting these terrible 'Let's Kill Klaus!' plans. For a solid two years. I don't trust him not to jump on this and try again and I really don't want to be the one to explain to Elena that her boyfriend got himself brutally murdered for being an idiot?"

"Oh, well if it's for Elena," Enzo drawls sarcastically.

Caroline rolls her eyes, unwilling to defend Elena for the umpteenth time. It's a pointless effort as Enzo's opinion was set. Privately she could admit that he wasn't exactly wrong about some of her friend's less than stellar qualities. He didn't have the lifetime of memories, of sleepovers and pinky promises, to color his perspective like Caroline did. "And for me," she reminds him.

He softens slightly, giving her a nod, before leaving. Caroline breathes a sigh of relief. That nod was as good as an oath signed in blood from Enzo. She trusted him not to break it.

Klaus, currently pacing along the edge of her table, probably didn't share her faith.

Well, that was just too damn bad. Caroline was pretty sure that, as the only member of the team currently in possession of opposable thumbs, she was automatically the captain.

She leans back against the closed door, considering her next move. Klaus eyes her, his agitation evident in his bared teeth and the way his gaze never leaves her, even as he continued his restless movements.

Caroline totally gets that Klaus is a control freak. Knows that part of him has been honed over the years to an insane degree, that this situation must be incredibly difficult for him. Just the thought of being in his shoes makes her shudder and she wasn't even a fraction as paranoid. Not to mention, Klaus kind of loved to throw around the "I'm the Big Bad Hybrid, Fear Me!" card and that wasn't exactly an option at the moment.

He's trapped in a body that's tiny and fluffy and adorable. He's not the least bit intimidating. That had to be humiliating.

He trusts her with this. Trusts that she's be willing to help him, won't take advantage of him. That was kind of a huge deal.

Caroline's almost afraid to consider the implications of that. It's hard to think about what his trust says about the way he feels about her, how clearly it indicates that the time and distance she'd asked for hadn't changed his mind.

Klaus is clearly growing impatient with her silence, her lack of action, and he lets out a sharp bark. Caroline pushes off the door, shushing him, "I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to have pets so if you could _not_ do that I would appreciate it."

He growls softly and Caroline rushes to clarify, "Yes, I know. You're not a pet. But I can't exactly say, 'Hey, here's my old friend Klaus! He's usually taller, and a little more man shaped, so don't kick me out because I'm totally not actually breaking my lease agreement' without freaking people out. I do not want to be known as the crazy lady in 4B."

Klaus settles down during her ramble, stretching his body out and resting his head on his paws. Caroline sits down once more, setting the notepad in front of her, picking up her pen. She taps it on the table a few times, biting her lip and trying to think of a way to phrase her next question delicately. She decides that there really wasn't a way to do so, and wasn't it a good thing that Klaus had always found her bluntness more charming than irritating?

"So…" Caroline begins, drawing out the word. Klaus' head tips quizzically to the side and she blurts out the rest, "Just to clarify. You're totally, you know, _you_ , in there? I don't have to worry about you peeing on the carpet or eating my shoes?"

Caroline's pretty sure from the way his head lifts, how he manages to look almost mortally offended, that he's 100% Klaus under the fur. She holds up her hands, a placating gesture, "Just checking, geez."

He still looks miffed, which is pretty impressive, in Caroline's opinion. She sighs, decides to try to smooth things over. "Okay. So despite the fact that talking to you like this is really, really creepy and awkward, I recognize that you have way more experience with this whole tracking down your enemies thing. So I might as well make use of your brain. Since you claim it's in working order."

He perks up, hopping to his feet, tail wagging slightly.

It's a struggle not to react, because he's freaking adorable and she kind of wants to snuggle him. She suspects that Klaus would not be cool with that.

Or he would and it would be weird. He's been surprisingly into post coital cuddling, and really good at it, even though they'd done it on the forest floor.

That memory is not even the tiniest bit helpful right now.

Caroline rips a piece of paper out of her notebook, writes out 'YES' and 'NO' in large print, darkening the letters, and then spacing the pages a foot or so apart on the table. Can he read like this? Caroline's not sure, and she doesn't want to ask him, given his previous reaction. She just taps them pointedly as she speaks, "I'm going to ask you questions. Touch this one for yes, and this one for no, and let's start to work this mess out, okay?"

He moves to the one she'd indicated for 'Yes' setting his two front paws on the paper and looking up at her expectantly.

Caroline cracks a smile, shakes her head, and picks up her pen again, trying to decide the best place to start.

And maybe it's a struggle, to focus on the situation at hand. Usually, she prides herself on her ability to focus during a crisis, to compartmentalize, and do what she needs to. But now, her mind keeps wandering. While this is a situation that needs a solution, and she's determined that she'll find it, it's (for once) not life or death.

Klaus is safe and that's a relief. He's right in front of her, but he's really not, and that's what's bothering her. Caroline's finding it hard to ignore the not so small part of her that really, _really_ misses the sound of his voice.

* * *

She and Klaus have managed to work out a rough plan for the next three days (Day One: supplies and logistics, Day Two: travel, Day Three: tracking a witch) when a pained groan sounds from the living room.

Right. She'd totally forgotten about her guest. Klaus looks passed her, but he doesn't seem agitated. Caroline assumes the vampire on her couch is not a threat. Klaus obviously doesn't consider the younger vampire dangerous, so she spins in her chair, pasting on what she hopes is a welcoming smile and waving, "Hi. You're Josh, right? I'm Caroline. Sorry about the neck snapping. Did you want a blood bag?"

He rises from the couch, stretching out his arms. He opens his mouth to reply, but his eyes drift past her and he immediately snaps it shut. "Uh, no. I'm good."

Caroline turns her head to look at Klaus suspiciously. It seems impossible to her, that he's capable of intimidating anyone right now, but she swears it's him that's making Josh uneasy.

"Are you sure? It's no trouble. And I feel kind of bad that you ended up temporarily dead, when you were only doing Klaus a favor. My friend Enzo's not really a big fan of strangers."

Josh's eyes widen at the word favor, an incredulous look crossing his face.

Caroline glances at Klaus again, putting the pieces together, "Ah, so coming here wasn't a favor, huh? Come on. I thought the whole hybrid debacle would have been a wakeup call. A lesson about how not to go about the care and feeding of your minions. I guess not."

"Not a big fan of the word minion," Josh mutters.

She turns back to him, "Who's Rebekah holding hostage?" Caroline asks knowingly.

"No one," Josh denies, "I'm only here under threats of my own excruciatingly death. One hybrid bite is more than enough for me."

Caroline can relate to _that_ feeling. "Ugh, tell me about it. I've had two."

Klaus nudges her elbow with his nose, and Caroline stiffens, moving her arm away.

Scratch missing the sound of his voice. She's pretty sure he wouldn't have been able to resist pointing out that she had, in fact, been bitten more than twice.

She'd voluntarily had his teeth in her thigh, and in her throat, that day in the woods. Excruciating death had been the last thing one her mind.

Klaus knew it. He'd delight in reminding her of how pleasurable she'd found it.

Caroline gets up, going into the kitchen and pulling two blood bags out of her crisper. She tosses one at Josh. He catches it neatly, once again looking uncertainly at Klaus.

"Ignore him," Caroline instructs. "He's been told that if he bites anyone on my watch my willingness to help him will become nonexistent. You're safe."

Josh hesitates for another few seconds before he opens the bag and takes a sip. "Thank you," he says politely, once nearly half of it is gone.

"You're welcome. Can I ask how you're getting home?"

He'd driven here, she knows. And according to Rebekah, the vehicle he'd driven from New Orleans is now at her disposal. And Caroline's almost certain that, after forcing the poor guy to do their bidding, neither Rebekah nor Klaus would have spared a thought for his safe return home.

A long suffering expression crosses Josh' face, telling her that she's correct in her assumptions. "I think I'm going to need directions to the nearest bus station."

Caroline throws Klaus an unimpressed look, "No need. I'll drive you to the airport. Klaus will pay for your ticket home. He'll even splurge for first class."

If Klaus _could_ roll his eyes at her, he totally would. He's the one who gave her free rein with his credit card, so really it's his own fault.

* * *

It's nearly midnight, when they get home from the airport, and Caroline sets the tote bag she'd used as a makeshift carrier for Klaus down. He had not been happy, when she'd produced it, snarling and going rigid when she'd tried to put him into the bag. Caroline had held firm because she really didn't want to get kicked out of her apartment. She'd offered to let Klaus stay behind, but he'd refused, and had sat between her and Josh in the front seat of his SUV on the way to the airport.

She's not entirely sure why. He's gotten chatty with her on the drive and the conversation had told her that Josh was a younger vampire than she was, unlikely to overpower her. He didn't seem the type to even try – she hadn't registered even a single speck of ruthlessness in him. Plus, he'd been pretty cute, talking about his boyfriend, so Klaus couldn't be jealous.

Caroline wishes Klaus could just _tell_ her what he's thinking. She's back to missing his voice.

Klaus wriggles out of the tote bag, but he doesn't go far. He lets out a yawn and lies down on it, struggling to keep his eyes open.

Caroline debates just letting him sleep there, because he looks comfortable enough. Her feet remain glued to the floor, something refusing to let her walk away.

"You are such a sucker, Caroline Forbes," she mutters to herself, before she bends and scoops Klaus up. He presses his nose to her neck, letting out a soft tired noise. Entering her room, she sets him on her bed. She takes a step back, pointing down at him sternly, "Do not get any ideas. This is just for a minute. You're totally sleeping on the floor."

His tail beats against the mattress half-heartedly for a moment, and Caroline takes that as his agreement to her terms.

Which turns out to be a mistake.

The next morning Caroline wakes up with his small form curled into her side, despite the nest of blankets and cushions she'd painstakingly set up for him to sleep in.

His eyes crack open when she moves, the blue of them wary, like he expects to be scolded. But Caroline's still tired, and if there's one thing she's learned, in her dealings with Klaus, it's to pick her battles.

It's probably less dangerous to have him in her bed now than to have him there when he's himself, isn't it?

She rolls over, buries herself under her quilt, and feels him recline next to her. The absurdity of the situation, hits her again, all at once, and she starts to laugh, trying to muffle the sounds in her pillow. He must feel it because he picks his way around her, his slight weight barely shaking the mattress. He nudges her with his head, until she looks at him, sitting down next to her pillow. She tries her hardest to calm down, "I'm sorry. It's just... I bet this is the last way you imagined getting into my bed, huh?"

Klaus does not appear to share her amusement. Caroline's positive she's never seen a non-animated animal's face look so disgusted.

She might be a terrible person but his reaction only makes her laugh harder.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes:** Lightly edited 11/17.

 **Oh How Strange (Part Three)**

 **(Crack fic. The continuing adventures of Caroline and WerewolfPuppy!Klaus. Part One found in the final third of Chapter 11. Part Two found in the second half of Chapter 19. Rated K+).**

Caroline knows she needs to get up. She's got a list and it isn't exactly short. Her bed's so warm and cozy, leaving it seems like a terrible idea. Once she's vertical and alert she's going to have to dive right back into a situation fraught with awkwardness. Plus danger, but she's totally used to that. The possibility of being tortured by hostile witches barely fazes her these days.

The conversation she needs to have with Klaus before they leave her apartment? Yeah, that was going to be terrible.

She plumps her pillow, wondering if she should just blurt out what she needs to right now. Casual was good, right? She'd let the fact that he snuck into her bed slide. Maybe he'd be gracious enough to keep his disdain for her request to a minimum out of gratitude.

Caroline _had_ always been an optimist.

She rolls over on to her side and Klaus' tail twitches though his eyes don't open. Caroline filed away the knowledge that she wasn't the only one who was a fan of lazy mornings in bed. Although, if Klaus wasn't currently cursed into tiny furry body she imagines she'd have woken up _very_ differently. She shoves the thought away quickly, refusing to dwell on it. It's entirely possible that Klaus' senses are still hyper sensitive. Thinking naughty thoughts was strictly a no no when he might be able to pick up the scent of her arousal.

She tucks the covers more firmly around her body. Just in case.

Caroline lays her hand on his head. Is unable to resist running it down his back. He doesn't seem to mind, shifts closer, his eyes opening to look at her. Caroline smiles brightly and clears her throat, "Morning! So, a couple things. First, before we tackle everything we need to get done so we can leave tomorrow I need to go see Bonnie. And you need to stay here while I do it."

Klaus does not seem to appreciate that, letting out a huff and standing tall. Well, as tall as he's able. He even shakes his head. Caroline sits up, making an effort to seem reasonable, "She's my friend and she's not going to hurt me. I won't tell her what happened to you, I promise. But I was thinking that she might know of some way to mask that I'm a vampire. Or at the very least have something that'll say, 'Hey, I'm friends with a Bennett witch so I'm cool and you don't need to make my brain explode.' Because aneurysms suck and some witches are so touchy about the whole blood sucking monster thing."

Klaus lets out another agitated noise – more of a threat of a growl then an actual growl - his little body stiff. Caroline continues listing the reasons she'd compiled. She'd made a thorough mental list knowing that Klaus' need for control wouldn't be easy to overcome. "Sorry, but you can't come with. Not unless you want her to see you like this. She'll know I didn't just randomly decide to get a dog. Because I'm me. Pet ownership is the kind of commitment that requires a ton of research. I totally would have made her come to shelters with me. And who knows maybe she'll do something witchy and with one touch she'll know there's an evil hybrid under all that cute."

He bares his teeth, and Caroline rolls her eyes. "Oh, relax. I don't think you're totally evil anymore. But Bonnie does." She hesitates, biting her lip, because the next part was a tiny bit stickier. "I was hoping that you'd agree to help out a little with what's going on with Elena. Bonnie won't want to help you. I _could_ make something up about why I need whatever magical doohickey she'll whip up for me. But then there's always the possibility that she'll demand to tag along, thinking I'm in danger. I try really hard not to lie to her anymore."

He'd calmed down slightly in the midst of her speech. He sits on her bed looking far too serious for his current form. He makes a quick jerk of his head, and Caroline assumes it's a nod. She figures it never hurts to make sure with Klaus. She holds out her hand. "Was that a yes? Tap my hand for yes."

He heaves a tiny sigh and does so.

Caroline beams at him. "Thank you, Klaus."

He manages another nodding motion, and pads to the end of the bed. He leaps down and Caroline winces, worried in spite of herself. Her bed was tall and he was pretty little, werewolf or not. She didn't want him to hurt himself. Both because she could admit that she cared about him, and because the idea of taking Klaus to a vet, the thought of kind of tests that a vet would have to run, is completely horrifying.

Caroline was certain there would be no saving that veterinarian, no rationalizing that he or she had simply been doing their job. Klaus would murder them, simple as that. His dignity could only take so many hits.

She peeks over the end of the bed and is relieved to find that Klaus is fine, steady on all four paws, waiting with an air of impatience. How he manages _that_ Caroline has no idea. Throwing back the covers she gets up and walks to her bedroom door. Klaus motions for her to go ahead, his nose cold on her calf. She bites her lip to hide a smile. She's amused that even in this form Klaus' weirdly charming old world manners remain intact and he still believes in ladies first.

Caroline walks to the kitchen, busies herself with setting up the coffee and putting down a bowl of water for Klaus. He waits until her eyes are averted, until she's rummaging in the refrigerator for a blood bag, before he starts to drink.

She feels a pang of sympathy, and a little flare of anger. Honestly, it's entirely possible that whatever witch had cast this spell had a legitimate grudge. Would a little sportsmanship have been too much to ask for? Honor amongst adversaries, or whatever? Try to kill Klaus? Fine, he was used to that. But this? Kind of uncalled for, in her opinion. Caroline found that she couldn't feel bad about the extra painful death Klaus had in store for whoever was remotely connected to the plan that had resulted in his predicament.

She moves slowly, listening until he's done. "Are you hungry?" she asks. "Josh said you've been eating regular food. Not sure that's good for you, but I'll add that to my research pile. Fingers crossed you won't be like this for long enough for an improper diet to matter."

Caroline _really_ hopes they can unravel this spell quickly. It's become slightly easier, carrying on this one way conversation. She's learning to read his facial expressions, imagines what he'd say and responds accordingly. It would be awesome to _not_ have to imagine anymore.

Klaus nudges the leg of one of her dining room chairs and Caroline assumes that means yes, he'd like to eat. She lifts him onto it the table and he promptly lies down. She begins pulling eggs out of the refrigerator. "You're lucky," she tells him. "Breakfast I can do. Other meals, not so much. Except dessert. My brownies would blow your mind."

She works quickly and has a hashbrown casserole in the oven in minutes. She figures it'll be easier for him to eat. Sitting down in the chair across from him Caroline braces herself for the second thing they need to discuss. The one that's even worse than the first.

Caroline takes a deep breath and leans down, propping her head on her forearm so they're nearly eye to eye. "Okay, I'm going to need you to listen to this next part and not freak out. I get that this whole thing sucks. And honestly, you're probably dealing better then I would've." She has to give him credit, Klaus is rolling with things far better than she had anticipated back when the reality of the situation had set in after Rebekah's phone call.

Klaus looks wary but his ears perk up so she knows he's listening. "When we're out in public," she says evenly, holding his gaze, "I'm going to need you to _try_ to act like you're an actual dog."

He does not take that well. Klaus gets to his feet, fur bristling, tail making angry slashes. Caroline grimaces, and holds up her hand. "Just hear me out, okay? I know it's humiliating and I'm sorry. You don't want anyone to know what's happened, right? For a whole host of reasons, not the least being that right now you're kind of less indestructible and not nearly as capable as you usually are of ripping out a heart if someone looks at you the wrong way."

He relaxed, if only by the slightest or increments, taking in her words. Caroline presses on. "Me talking to you like I actually think you understand me is the opposite of inconspicuous. People love to rubberneck at crazies. We're laying low and any attention we draw is a bad idea, right? We can't know how many people know about this spell, just who knows you're under it."

He barks softly clearly not happy but perhaps seeing her point. Klaus is a strategist, two steps ahead of everyone else. A guy who always has plans A through G. He's also a fan of sneaking up on people. It had been the whole reason for the Alaric body swap. He likes the advantage that comes when people don't see him coming, understands the benefits of the element of surprise.

"I will do my very best," Caroline promises, "to make it easy. I will physically throw myself in front of people who want to pet you. I will buy you the most badass collar Petco sells. And I will remove it the minute we're in private. I will not take a single photo or video. And I swear that once this is done we _never_ have to speak about any of it again, okay? Vegas rules."

He's wavering, she thinks. He had trusted her enough to come here. She just needs him to trust her a little bit more. "And I'm not saying we can't communicate. We'll work out a system because, like I said, hunting enemies is clearly more your bag then mine. It just has to be subtle. And, you know, reasonably puppy-like."

She holds her breath, watching him carefully. Klaus concedes with the barest twitch of his nose up and down. Caroline exhales with a woosh, slumping back in her chair. She'd been prepared for a tantrum, figured she'd have to sacrifice a table leg or two to Klaus' teeth. And maybe that was still coming. Klaus agreeing to her plan, grudgingly at that, was very different from them going out into the real world. How he reacted after being forced to play the role of house pet would be the true test.

Still, it was a tiny victory, one that would help move their aims forward. The sooner Klaus was back in his usual body the better.

For her _and_ for him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Oh How Strange (Part Four)**

Walking into her apartment Caroline's feeling pretty good about what she's accomplished. After a brief fight with Klaus (which had consisted of her talking and him pacing, occasionally bristling and growling) post-breakfast he'd agreed to stay behind while she took care of a few errands.

While out Caroline had managed to check a bunch of thing off her list of things to do before she and Klaus left on their witch hunting road trip tomorrow. A little compulsion ensured that Caroline's boss didn't mind a sudden, abrupt vacation (not that she'd be thanking Rebekah for the suggestion any time soon). Her snotty coworker had been there, had been incredulous when Caroline informed her that she'd be taking off for a couple weeks. The woman had looked positively shocked, and more than a little pissed, when Caroline had breezed out of the office, her time off secured.

Caroline really did love being a vampire.

With that taken care of she'd moved on to something fun: shopping.

First stop: outdoorsy stuff. Not her favorite, and she was probably a little rusty, but Caroline knew the basics. She'd figured some supplies – a cooler, some camping gear – would be smart. There was plenty of space in Klaus' ginormous SUV for just in case items and some of the locations Rebekah had programmed into the phone she'd left in Caroline's keeping were nowhere near anywhere populated. After purchasing the gear she'd headed to a fancy schmancy pet boutique downtown (rationalizing that Klaus would expect the best, would probably be highly offended if she brought home a bag from Target, and he _was_ footing the bill). She'd almost gasped out loud when told the total but had handed over Klaus' card, walking out with everything she would need to seem like a responsible pet haver to anyone they happened to come across.

A quick trip to the grocery store for bottled water, some portable snacks for the road and steaks (plus salad things for her) for dinner and Caroline had figured she was set.

After unlocking the door she's just about to call out a greeting to Klaus, kind of surprised that he hadn't come out to meet her (she'd assumed he'd be impatient, would want an update of her progress since it's not like he could accept a call on a iPhone at the moment. They'd tried and touch screens just weren't made for paws).

Caroline's setting the bags down when she realizes that something is… off.

There's someone in her apartment. The apartment that's currently harboring a weakened version of someone with a whole lot of enemies. Not a good thing.

She doesn't even think about it. Caroline drops everything in her hands and whirls, fangs dropping, hands ready to _tear_ , only to pull back abruptly when Bonnie stands up from her couch in alarm, "Whoa! Geez, Care. It's me. Calm down."

Caroline takes a deep breath, and closes her eyes, letting her vampire features recede. She offers Bonne an awkward smile, "Sorry!" she chirps. "You surprised me. I thought I was meeting you at your house after dinner?"

Bonnie's home base remains Mystic Falls. Caroline's in Richmond, close enough that she can help out with the ongoing rescue Elena mission but far enough away that she can beg off when she needs to.

Something she's been doing more and more, much to Damon's displeasure. He could suck it, Caroline thought. She weathered his snarky quips, tossed back her own. Didn't bother trying to be nice like she once had. Elena wasn't around to make the effort for. And Elena had wanted them to _live_ so Caroline was giving it her best shot.

She'd even been thinking about doing some travelling, getting further away from the never ending Mystic Falls drama. Caroline had been thinking Europe but she supposed a road trip wasn't a bad start. Even if Klaus was tagging along.

Bonnie's watching her curiously, head tipped to the side, "I needed to get out of the house. Thought I'd surprise you and make you take me out to that great Italian place we went to the last time I was here. Plus, your message was kind of cryptic. I was a little worried."

Crap. Caroline had tried her best to avoid that.

She bends to pick up the bags she'd dropped when she'd lunged, hoping to buy herself time to gather her thoughts. Caroline tucks her hair behind her ear and tries to listen for Klaus. She picks up his heartbeat first, the quick tempo of his current form, coming from the next room.

He must have made himself scarce when Bonnie had let herself in. Part of the deal had been that no one else could know the specifics of Klaus' condition.

Bonnie's wandered over to help and she looks puzzled when she peeks into the bad from the pet store, "What do you need this stuff for?" she asks, tugging out the leather collar Caroline had picked (she'd kept it simple and classy, despite the opportunities for hilarity a couple of the options had presented. She'd promised to try to make this whole situation as pain free as she could for Klaus, and she meant to keep her word).

"Gift," Caroline lies, taking the bag from Bonnie and tucking it away. "One of my coworkers just got a puppy with her boyfriend. Kind of a trial baby, I think. We all went in together to get her something."

Bonnie nods, seeming to accept the story and Caroline mentally sighs in relief. "That's going to be a very stylish dog," Bonnie jokes.

Biting back a hysterical giggle Caroline heads to the kitchen to stow the groceries. "Well, the giftee is a little… particular."

Understatement. Klaus probably killed minions when they screwed up the dry cleaning.

Bonnie has trailed her into the kitchen and she watches Caroline open and close cupboards, "So what's that favor you needed? Enzo mentioned he'd seen you. Said you'd run into an old friend? He was annoyingly cryptic."

Ugh. Caroline makes a mental note to have words with Enzo. That _was not_ keeping his mouth shut.

"I wouldn't say ran into…" Caroline hedges. Klaus had technically been hand delivered, after all. And she'd only _spoken_ to Rebekah. "But I've agreed to pitch in with said old friend's teeny tiny problem. And I was hoping you'd help me out."

"Caroline…" Bonnie begins, tone hard and suspicious. "How _teeny tiny_ a problem are we talking? And exactly what old friend is dragging you into their mess?"

She's been busying herself with the groceries, avoiding Bonnie's eyes, but she knows that's not going to fly any longer. Caroline faces her friend, leans against the counter. "It's nothing I can't handle Bonnie. I promise."

Bonnie doesn't seem comforted. "And the friend?" she prods.

Caroline decides to just rip off the band aid, "Klaus."

Bonnie blinks for a few seconds, her mouth agape. " _Klaus_? Since when do you talk to _Klaus_?"

"Since yesterday," Caroline informs her, lifting her chin defiantly. "Well, kind of," she adds, after a moment. Technically they hadn't actually _talked_ , had they?

"And what, he just called you out of the blue and demanded you do his bidding?" Bonnie's voice has risen, the pitch nearing shriek territory.

Caroline winces, "No, it wasn't like that." She decides to avoid mentioning that _Rebekah_ had been the one doing the demanding. And the threatening. "Look, he has a situation and things in New Orleans aren't great so I got drafted. It's not that bad. I can't tell you much. I _did_ get him to agree to help us out with Elena."

"We don't need his help," Bonnie spits.

Caroline rolls her eyes. She's no stranger to stubbornness but surely Bonnie could see the advantages? "No offense, Bon, but what could it hurt? We haven't gotten anywhere in _years_. Klaus has got to know all kinds of witches we don't. I'm sure he's got stacks of grimy old magic books too."

"Elena didn't want us sacrificing things for her. What do you think you bargaining with Klaus is, Caroline? Cause it seems like a sacrifice to me."

"What do you think you doing nothing with your life but combing grimoires and babysitting Damon is, Bonnie?" Caroline shoots back. "Is _that_ the living Elena wanted you to do? Cause I don't think it is. And, for the record, I agreed to help Klaus _before_ I asked for _his_ help. So it technically wasn't bargaining. It was me helping out a friend. I only asked about Elena's curse when I thought about asking _you_ for help."

Unfortunately, Bonnie's still stuck on the friend part. "Friend?" she repeats, disbelief clear. "Since when? Klaus is…"

"Totally evil, the devil incarnate, a very bad guy, blah blah blah. I know all that, Bon. I'm not asking you to like him. But Klaus has come through for me when I asked him for things. I think it's only fair if I do the same. And there's the whole if he dies I die, Damon and Stefan die thing, too."

Bonnie seems to be wavering, her expression softening at the reminder. Caroline pushes a little further. It's dirty, but she's never claimed to be a saint. "I think it would kind of suck for Elena to wake up with everyone she loves dead, don't you?"

"Low blow, Caroline," Bonnie accuses, but there's little heat to it.

Caroline fights back a triumphant smile, knowing she's nearly won, "I'm not even really asking you to help him. Just… help me while I'm helping him. Please?" Caroline wheedles, doing her very best pleading eyes.

Bonnie attempts to resist but Caroline can see her resolve crumbling. Finally, she throws up her hands, "Oh my god, fine. If you're going to be an idiot, and I know what you look like when you're set on something, I will of course help you. Stop looking at me like that. What do you need?"

Bouncing on the balls of her feet Caroline claps her hands before speeding around to envelop Bonnie in a hug, "Nothing major, I promise. Let me go change and we'll go get dinner, okay?"

Bonnie returns the hug, "You're definitely buying now," she grumbles.

Caroline's not about to argue. She's totally going to use Klaus' credit card and splurge on the wine.

* * *

She's a little tipsy when she returns home the second time. The wine had been _good_. Caroline kicks off her heels when she crosses the threshold, debates picking them up and decides not to bother. She hears a door creak, and then the rapid pitter patter of little canine feet.

Klaus is looking up at her, head cocked to the side, and a sobering wave of guilt crashes over Caroline, "You must be starving. I am so sorry." She'd put down water for him after a rushed whispered conversation while she'd changed (after she'd demanded he turn away). "I bought steak earlier. I'm guessing you want it rare, huh?"

He bobs his head, in the way she's come to recognize as a nod.

"Okay. Well, then that won't take long!"

Klaus follows her to the kitchen and Caroline pulls out one of the chairs. He pauses, before making the leap and jumping on to it. Caroline resists the urge to compliment him on the effort. Klaus _would not_ appreciate any 'Good boys!' from her. A second hop and he's on the table, settling down so he can watch her as she cooks. She hears a thumping noise and glances over, notes that he's stiff and that his ears are perked up, his tail beating against the table.

She's pretty sure that's what murderously impatient looks like in his current form.

"Bonnie's onboard," Caroline tells him, digging out a skillet. "She's going to spell me a couple of bracelets. Said they'll mark me as a friendly. Not all witches will care but I figure it's better than nothing. We'll run over there and pick them up tomorrow and then leave from Mystic Falls. You'll have to camp out in the car while I talk to her."

He lets out a huff, annoyed but grudgingly accepting. Caroline works quickly, humming to herself. She goes easy on the seasonings, still not sure that Klaus should be eating _steak_ but she wasn't about to suggest they break open a can of dog food. Things had gone relatively smoothly today. She'd like to keep it that way.

When it's done she cuts it up into manageable chunks and plates it, setting it down in front of Klaus. He eats carefully, chewing individual pieces. Caroline busies herself with her lists, crossing off things and scribbling in more ideas.

It's harder to focus than it should be. She's a little alarmed by how easily she's accepted this situation. She might not have been totally happy with her life as it was, had truthfully been finding it a little dull. Still, she had a routine. Caroline liked routines. Klaus had blown in, shot it all to hell, and she has no idea where she's going to be next week, what she'll be doing. And she isn't even mad about it. Caroline's been given a problem, and she's determined to solve it. Is certain that she'll do _whatever_ it takes to get Klaus back to normal. She'd told herself that she'd forgotten all about him, that Klaus had never meant anything to her, but it's looking like that was a lie.

She hears the plate scrape across the table, Klaus' signal that he's done. Caroline put it in the sink to deal with tomorrow. It's not that late, still light outside, but they'd planned on getting an early start in the morning. "I'm going to shower," she tells him. "And then I'm going to bed. If you stay out here while I'm getting ready, and don't try to peep at me – which, by the way is super creepy since you're a mini werewolf right now – I won't complain if you try to sleep on the bed. Deal?"

Klaus hops down from the table and heads to the plush area rug, sitting down and watching her expectantly. Caroline supposed that's the best answer she's going to get.

* * *

She's awoken what feels like shortly after she'd drifted off. Her bed shudders, unfamiliar noises filling her silent room. Cracks and pops, a low whine. Disoriented, Caroline sits up, tugging the covers up to her chin. Klaus is writhing on the bed next to her but he seems… bigger. Closer to what she imagines is his full size when he turns.

A werewolf was about the last thing a vampire wanted to find in her bed.

Scrambling from it Caroline goes for the window – a drop of a couple stories is nothing, and a better alternative than letting a werewolf loose in her building, should Klaus give chase. Throwing open the curtains she's greeted by the sight of the moon, round and bright and obviously full. "Shit," she mutters, cursing her own stupidity. She really should have checked the moon phases at some point during her research. She'd long since lost the habit of keeping up on them and they were _definitely_ pertinent. Chancing a glance over her shoulder she pauses, because it looks like Klaus is still changing. The fur seems to be receding, his limbs lengthening as he shudders and the groans of pain are lower, sounding almost like words.

Wary, Caroline takes a couple steps back towards the bed. Her caution was unnecessary. She can see an expanse of pale skin, the tattoo on his shoulder, and soon his hands are tearing at her sheets. A final shiver racks Klaus' body before he stills with a groan. He doesn't move for several long moments, his breath coming out in harsh pants. Caroline's just reaching out to touch him, an instinctive need to soothe, when his head turns towards her, eyes slitting open. "Well," he manages, voice a hoarse scratch, " _that_ was certainly unpleasant. Even more so than usual."

She pulls back, twisting her hands together anxiously, "I don't understand. Did something happen? Did the spell break?"

Klaus rolls his neck, seems to consider her question. "I doubt it. From what I recall of the wording…"

He pushes himself up, and Caroline's eyes trace the movement of the muscles in his back before she can tell herself to avert her eyes. Hadn't she _just_ admonished him for perving?

An amused little smirk tugs at Klaus lips but he thankfully doesn't comment on her ogling. He pulls a sheet over his lap as he arranges himself against her headboard, and Caroline glues her eyes to his face. The had business to discuss. "The wording?" she prompts.

"I believe it's a reversal, of sorts. I'm in this form on the full moon, that _other_ one for the rest of the month."

Ugh. Freaking witches.

Caroline's just about to begin spewing her annoyance but the grin that curves Klaus' mouth gives her pause. There's a teasing glint in the way he's looking at her, and he reclines slightly, perfectly at ease, nude and in her bed. He surprises her though. "Thank you, Caroline," he murmurs, soft and sincere.

"I… you're welcome," she manages to stammer.

Something wicked sparks in his blue eyes and Caroline braces herself. She remembers that look all too well. It had preceded some pretty spectacular dirty talk that day in the woods. His voice dips tauntingly, "I have to admit that this was a more what I had in mind when I imagined being in your bed. Tell me, have you ever thought of me here, love?"

Yeah, he's totally sleeping on the floor.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes:** klarolineauweek is running and today's theme is Because Magic! I figured this was an appropriate contribution. Enjoy and I'd love to hear what you think!

 **Oh How Strange (Part Five)**

Who even _asked_ something like that?

Caroline gropes for an answer, hating how her mouth opens and closes as she comes up with (and quickly discards) about a half dozen comebacks. All the while Klaus lounges, his eyes focused on her, as his expression grows more and more amused. Finally, she grits her teeth together and sucks in a breath, deciding that no response is the best course of action.

Klaus didn't need any encouragement but of _course_ she had thought of him. He was nothing if not memorable and had an annoying habit of popping up as she drifted off to sleep, to do lists and _plans_ running through her head. Even worse, he tended to appear in her dreams, especially the dirty ones. Admitting _any_ of that was _not_ an option. Caroline could attempt to lie but that was tricky considering how perceptive Klaus.

Better to say nothing and attempt a distraction. She _did_ have plenty of practice at that.

She whirls, stalking to her closet, running a mental inventory of what she can give Klaus. She's really going to need him to put on some pants. For her own sanity. Caroline's fairly certain she doesn't have anything that was actually meant for a man (she'd purged any and all of her ex's leftover shirts and sweats when she'd moved into her apartment wanting to exorcise the ghosts of boyfriends past) but some of her own comfy stuff will work well enough.

Caroline grabs her two pairs of baggier sweats (one bubblegum pink, the other a leftover from high school – burgundy with 'CHEER' emblazoned across the butt) as well as a pair of black leggings. Not great, as far as options went, but she was sure Klaus had worn worse things in his thousand plus years. She remembers some frankly hilarious fashions from her art history texts and she'd bet that Klaus had tried most of them. She has a stack of worn novelty t-shirts from various trips her father had gone on that she usually uses for cleaning binges and she takes one of those too.

Clothes taken care of (to the best of her ability) she takes a few steps towards the bed before she unceremoniously tosses them in Klaus' face. His hands fly up, but he only has two of them, so his superior hybrid reflexes can only do so much and she manages to smack him in the face. His mouth twists in indignation, eyes narrowing in a glare, and Caroline bites her lip to keep in the laugh. It's still there when she speaks, a slight shake in her voice, "Put something on and meet me in the kitchen. We need to hash some things out while you can use actual words."

She's out of the room before Klaus can reply, making a beeline to the kitchen. Caroline bustles around, debates coffee before setting a pan on the stove and deciding on hot chocolate. Chocolate made everything better, right? Plus, she was reasonably certain she could add some bourbon to it and it would taste freaking delicious. She hums to distract herself, does her very best not to listen to Klaus moving around in the other room. He doesn't seem to be in any great rush, making his way to the bathroom. Caroline hears the water running and when he finally emerges there are droplets of water decorating the neckline of the faded blue Kansas City tee he wears. He'd chosen the pink sweats though he doesn't appear the least bit self-conscious about his less than stylish outfit. His walk is the same, straight shouldered with his usual disarming confidence.

Whatever, Caroline was totally storing the mental image away. She'd definitely be bringing it up in the future whenever Klaus got a little too conceited about something.

She shakes herself at the scrape of a stool, turns back to the pot she'd been stirring. "So, I checked and we've got just under seven hours until the sun rises and you get all small and fluffy again. I would like to get _some_ sleep since I'm going to be driving all day tomorrow so let's power plan."

Klaus huffs out a soft laugh, "Fine by me, love. But I'd like to call Rebekah first and see how things are progressing on her end. Where did you set my phone?"

"Purse," she tells him, tilting her head to indicate the front hallway, "on the table there. Front pocket."

A brief look of surprise crosses Klaus' face, and Caroline supposed the fact that she was cool with him going into her bag was kind of new territory. He nods and she's grateful for the lack of commentary. His expression returns to its business like setting and he's out of his seat again.

"I'll do my best to keep it short," he tells her, before his lips twist wryly. "It is, of course, entirely possible that Rebekah will attempt to wrangle a promise or two from me in return for all that she's doing. The negotiations might take a bit."

Caroline rolls her eyes, " _Or_ ," she says pointedly, "You could maybe be nice and recognize that your sister's trying to help you with a pain in the ass situation of your own making and be gracious about it?"

That only gets another sound of amusement from Klaus, "I likely _could_ but that's not really how we operate."

Part of her wants to argue but she's not exactly an expert in healthy sibling relationships. Elena and Jeremy were her best example but who knows how screwed up and twisted they might have gotten if they were both immortal? Damon and Stefan certainly had buckets upon buckets of issues. She shuddered to think about how much worse they could get in another few centuries – especially if the turning human plan didn't pan out and they came across another doppelganger somewhere down the line.

Caroline quickly pushes _that_ thought away (because she had more than enough on her plate without contemplating hypothetical future disasters involving the Salvatores screwing up another human girl's life) and adopts a breezy tone, "Then you do you, I guess. Enjoy your dysfunction. If you take too long I'm totally drinking your share of the hot chocolate. And the booze."

She feels him walk behind her, the heat of him as he pauses at her back. She stills, wishing she'd maybe put on a robe. She's not wearing a bra and the thin cotton of her tank conceals _nothing_. Caroline half expects him to touch her, maybe lay a hand on her hip, and her pulse quickens in anticipation. God, the way he affected her just wasn't fair. She's almost about to lean back, initiate contact herself but she doesn't get the chance. Klaus merely lingers for a moment, close enough that she can feel his exhalations on her neck, before murmuring, "Well, I obviously don't want that," before retreating.

Caroline relaxes slightly, forces herself not to turn and watch him go. She tells herself there's no reason to feel disappointed.

It's not like Klaus is going anywhere right now.

* * *

Surprisingly, he doesn't lock himself away in her room when he speaks to Rebekah. Her apartment's small enough that it wouldn't give him true privacy (though she's sure he could lapse into some long dead language that she'd have no hope of following if he'd really wanted to) but Caroline had assumed he'd want the pretense of it, that his paranoid and controlling nature would lead him to wanting to be the one with the most information. She's touched, and pleased, with the small act of trust even if she knows it's probably only offered out of necessity and expedience.

Klaus' options, as evidenced by the fact that he was here in the first place, were limited.

He paces her living room while he talks circling through a dizzying array of emotions. He is at turns teasing and cajoling, exasperated and defiant, even vaguely threatening a time or two. From what Caroline can hear Rebekah gives as good as she's getting, her tone growing snide and sassy insults flowing freely.

She didn't like the Rebekah, _at all_ , but Caroline could grudgingly admire her style. As long as Rebekah was nowhere in the vicinity to get wind of it.

Eventually Rebekah _does_ manage to pull a few concessions from Klaus (such as the agreement that all love interests are given immunity from death and torture for an entire century – any time spent daggered _not_ included – unless Klaus could prove they were doing something untoward beforehand and Rebekah then got to participate in said torture) and she seems _very_ satisfied with them

Honestly, Caroline kind of marveled at the next level crazy.

Once they'd reached an accord Rebekah succinctly summed up what each of the siblings were up to. Kol had apparently come across a promising grimoire and had loyal witches looking into it. Klaus, of course, demanded photographs of the pertinent pages to be sent his way and Caroline had rattled off her email address while mentally patting herself on the back for the extra ink cartridges she always had on hand.

Score another couple points for forethought and preparedness!

All in all the conversation takes scarcely more than a half an hour. Caroline's on her second cup of hot chocolate, feet tucked under her at her dining room table, when Klaus joins her once again, having helped himself to the doctored up cocoa. He sets the phone in front of her. "I'll leave this in your keeping once more, sweetheart."

"Since you'll lack opposable thumbs soon enough."

A dark look of anger crosses Klaus' face at the reminder, his long fingers tightening on his cup. She can see yellow beginning to bleed into his irises the blue receding as his wolf asserts itself.

Caroline rushes to change the subject. She's aware that she's not sure how this whole thing really works, for all she knows the spell's extra tricky, the witch who cast it seemed devious enough to toss in a few curveballs, and Klaus could very well change back randomly and leave her trying to figure out his wants and needs and nefarious plans with only gestures and the verbalizations he could manage as a wolf pup to go on. "Okay, so things are going smooth-ish in New Orleans, that's good, right?"

He calms somewhat, easing back in his chair. He nods in agreement, features shifting to calculation. "It is. I'm pleased that no one seems to have noted my absence, and that no one seems the wiser about this accursed spell. I can only hope it stays that way."

"Yeah, I'm totally down with going about this quietly. Not having people trying to kill me to get to you is awesome."

He looks apologetic, not something she's used to seeing from Klaus. "I cannot guarantee that things won't change, that an enemy won't somehow get an inkling about what's happening, but you must know…"

She offers him a smile, understanding what he's trying to say. She's not stupid, she knew the risks when she said yes to helping Klaus out. "That pain and death and all sorts of stomach turning nastiness awaits anyone who comes at me? I kind of figured. I am not into violence for fun or profit but I'm not opposed to it when someone's coming after me and mine. And right now you're on that list so I get it."

The curl of Klaus' lips, the lightness of his eyes, tells Caroline that he's ever so pleased with her proclamation. "Just now?" he presses, managing to inject a wealth of knowing and smugness in two little words.

"Shut up," Caroline grouses. "I'm so not going to stroke your ego. We're friends. I have no idea how the hell it happened considering you're _such_ an ass but whatever. I'm not the kind of girl that gives up on people so I guess I'm stuck with you. Do not make me regret it."

He makes a sad attempt at seeming somber but the glee in his gaze is unmistakable. "I shall endeavor not to. Now, let's get on to your… what was it? Power planning. Then we can grab a couple hours of sleep."

Caroline snorts, "Yeah, I wouldn't plan on getting much rest. My couch sucks. But you can sleep in the car tomorrow so I refuse to feel guilty for being a crap hostess."

Klaus lets out a low hum, reaching across the table to pull one of her notebooks his way, "Afraid to have me in your bed? Noted."

Caroline sputters, her denial comes out a touch too heated, "I'm not _afraid_."

He turns pages calmly, eyes scanning her scribbled thoughts, "Nothing to be ashamed of, sweetheart. I don't blame you for being unable to resist me."

"Oh my god," Caroline groans. "Clearly I made the right call about the ego stroking."

His chuckle is genuinely amused, "At least I have a firm answer to my earlier question."

Caroline feels her face warm and she ducks her head in a futile attempt at hiding her blush. So much for her grand plans to refuse to admit that she thought of him. Would it really have killed him to have let that go? Ugh.

She makes a low noise of irritation, "You know, I must have been insane for actually _wanting_ you to be able to talk again. You remain completely annoying."

Klaus grins and leans forward, "Missed the sound of my voice, did you? If your intentions are _not_ to flatter me, Caroline, you're doing a terrible job."

Of course he'd only hear what he wanted to hear.

He's watching her eagerly, and she knows he's baiting her. It's his style, his weird (inappropriately timed!) way of flirting, and she _always_ falls for it. Caroline narrows her eyes at him in warning, and resolves to get them back on task.

If Klaus knows what's good for him he'll follow her lead, help her brainstorm. She said she wouldn't take pictures of him as a tiny werewolf but she'd never said anything about not catching him in his current, completely ridiculous and unintimidating, ensemble.

She even had Kol's contact info now since he was supposed to be emailing her. Caroline didn't know Klaus' younger brother well but something told her he'd _love_ to get his hands on such a photo.


End file.
